3108: Writing down the
name of a person who is absent from work as if he is present

Sometimes my colleagues at college or at
work ask me to make it look as if they are present even though they are absent, so that
when the attendance sheet comes around, I should write their names. Is this a human
service or is it deception and cheating?

Published Date: 1998-12-22

Praise be to Allaah.

This is a kind of service, but it is satanic service which the Shaytaan
is instilling in the person who does this and makes it appear that someone is present when
this is not the case. There are three reasons for having reservations about this practice:

(1) It is lying; (2) it involves deceiving those who are in charge; (3)
it makes the absent person entitled to wages on the basis of attendance, which he then
takes and consumes unlawfully. One of these reservations alone is sufficient to make this
practice, which the questioner apparently sees as a human service or favour, be described
as haraam. Not all human favours are praiseworthy; only those that coincide with
sharee’ah are praiseworthy – those that go against sharee’ah are to be
condemned. Calling favours that go against sharee’ah “human services” is in
fact a misnomer, because anything that goes against sharee’ah is a bestial action.
This is why Allaah described the kuffaar and mushrikeen as being like cattle. He says
(interpretation of the meaning): “… while those who disbelieve enjoy
themselves and eat as cattle eat, and the Fire will be their abode.” [Muhammad 47:12]
and “…They are only like cattle; - nay, they are even farther astray from the
Path…” [al-Furqaan 25:44]. So everything that is contrary to sharee’ah
is a bestial action, not human.